SUNDAY EVENING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9642, 17 January 1903, Page 5 (Supplement)

SUNDAY EVENING.

(A Sketch by W. Pett Ridge.) — — ' * "Now, then," said the mother, placing llie book-marker m her volume and notching a score of five pages, "who's going to help lay supper?" No answer. "Don't both speak at once," satirically; "it's so difficult to hear what you're saying wiien you shout so. Fl&rrie, you're the youngest.; on with your apron and help." "I helped last Sunday," urged the youngest child. "Very good reason why you should help now." . "But, . mother, dear!" t "If you poor father were alive ■" ■> v Florrie, making a face at another young ; sister who was engaged- tardily on home tessous, followed her mother into the kitchen and took charge of the transport, conveying into the small dining room first a table cloth ("Best side up, mind," ordered her mother), and on, it placed the cruet stand and two slim flower glasses wh^ch contained unconvincing geraniums of scarlet linen. Then she took m a large dish with a joint of cold beef ("You drop it," said hermother, threateningly, "that's : all!"), and presently the bread on a wooden dish oearing on its edge a warning to guests, "Waste Not, Want Not," and a dish of beetroot. Plates aud knives and forks and salt-cellars and three bottles with screw corks, and the house then, felt? itself prepared for the coming attack. The mother went upstairs to channel Jxejv cap, because a compliment had been paid a fortnight since to the one with a suggestion of mauve about it, and it seemed unwise not to give opportunity for repetition; and the mother had only just returned, the shaded lamp was only just lighted, when a sharp rat? tat at the front door, followed by a ring, gave the pre-arranged signal intimating Chat not only had the two eldest girls ' arrived, but that they had brought with them company. "Mr Linden," remarked the motiher, genially, coming along tlie passage to reinforce, "how good of you. But you'll have' to take us as you find us. You know what plain people we are." • "I beg to differ," said Mr Linden, m a deep bass voice. And found his arm struck with a muff for this daring com j plimenfc. : • ~ "Mr Jackson, this is a surprise visit." "Got nowhere else particular to go," said that youth, shyly, "and Miss Milly seemed rather keen on my coming m. Said you. were expecting me." V "Let's go straight m to supper," recommended Miss Milly hurriedly. ■■■■ 'Eating's better than talking." THE TABLE TALK. A pleasant supper, although tlie two children, worsted in»their efforts to create precedent by obtaining a slice of. beef, were 1 compelled by the autocratic mother to consume the dry slices of bread and ; butter left over from tea. They had some revenge by talking mysteriously of a Mr 8., who had once come m to supper on a Sunday evening, aridV having listed a trifle made by Milly, had never been seen ' again, and Mr Jackson became more thoughtful on hearing this until Milly, m the effort to stop the children, from pursuing this conversation, kicked him by error under the table. Interpreting this as a sign/ of esteem, he cheered slightly, and presently asked a riddlewlu'ch drew the attention upon him, and made Milly feel quite proud until, when everybody had admitted that they could nob guess it, he giggled and disclosed the fact that it was one of those. riddles to which there was no answer. Whereupon Milly told him that she disliked catches, and the others frowned, Mr Linden re- / marking, kindly, "Jackson, old man, you must take a bit of rest." . ; Mr Jackson, perturbed at Ms failure, declined to touch his stout, and when askby the motilier whether he could not be tempted to partake of "the leastest morsel of gorgonzola," shook his head moodily, and said, with an air of virtue, that he never touched it of an evening. Mr. Linden it was who knew all -about* the • curative qualities of celery; remembered an American story about cheese ; was able to give trustworthy information concerni- .„ rng the Royal Family and coffee.' On. Mr Jackson, alter an interval, venturing to offer an anecdote about something that' had liappened to a friend of his. , Mr . Linden interrupted with the remark, "I ; read that m a paper- last week," and Mr Jackson became once more a prey to melancholia* ..-"■" r> AT THE.PIANO. ', '„ , In tlie drawing-room, whale mother was . engaged m clearing away supper, general cheerfulness returned. The eldest girl, }m sportive mood, . played very , quietly oh the pianoforte, and very slowly, the comic song of the current week, und on mother calling out the suspicious enquiry, "Is., that a hymn ?" sent the melody With much neatness into something from an oratorio. They all assumed a proper solemnity when mother returned from her work to lake charge of the evening and to issue orders. . ."■,- ''Mr Linden,' you can smoke if you like. Dorothy, play that old Moody, and Sankey your poor father usedto be so ' fond of. Mill, don't cross your. feet.' A' match for Mr Linden. (Funny thing that m this house one never can put one's hand on a box of matches.) You two children, directly I see you yawn, off yon go-to bed, mind! Mr Jackson, you have a 'singing 1 face; won't you— QH. hou>sense, vow ! Don't tell me you can't." '. Thus mother, making up the fire the while, finding -an ash-tray 'lor, Mr <Luiden, lighting the shaded candles at 'the pianoforte, and doing generally the work of 40 busy mothers. Mr Jackson, aftfcr relighting a cigarette three tin^, '^iw ? induced to relinquish, the ai-trof smoking,:' and to stand up at the pianoforte aiid sing, to Miss Milly's accompaniment, Gounod's "Aye Maria." "Tell you what," said Mr Jackson, m a moment of inspiration, after two or ; three false starts, '-'you give me a. nudge when I have to begin." • , RESULTS. - I . : Y Mother pretended that she had not been asleep while Milly .had" played and sung very furtively a coon-song. To prove this she put her cap straight and ordered' both the children off to bed. They showed'signs of mutiny; but the mother was insistent, and they kissed her and' their" sisters and shook hands clumsily with. tlie r young men, and went; but one of them hid rather Blevßrlyun4er the partiere of the door, and burst out with a "Bo!" just as Mr Linden began to talk about a baby that Was expected at his; married sister's house, and for her ill-tiihed humor was shaken arid conveyed 'by the mother' straight upstairs. Tlie young ladies were helping Mr Jackson and Mr Linden m tlie passage witli their overcoats when she returned, and -there was a good deal of laughing. Tlie, daughters had to be reminded that, it Was still Sunday evening. The servant came ba«k J from "her afternoon and! evening put, and /leaving , explained that the trains were rujining :',. all anyhow, went through into the chen to wash up the things. "Well !" asked the niother. Her daughters had returned from the gate, and, closing the front /door, she put iip the ; chain. . . , , „ "Mr Linden asked me," reported the* eldest, breathlessly, "asked me how .I, should like Streatham if ever I decided to settle down." "And you, Milly?" ' „ ■ "Don't ask me,' for goodness gnueious sake!" begged that young woman, distractedly. "What can you expect from a young gentleman that talks all the time , he's alone, with you of nothing but tlie ; Education Bill!", X ■ - , THE DIFFERENCE. .' V ill" Shaw, Secretary of the- United States -Treasury, lias just given a neat , definition of the difference between a politician and a statesman. : . \:.''..' : "Ib is the difference," his . experieiice . teaches him, "between ayoung man who • is looking for a situation, and one who . is looking for Work." -... ' The Four Horn's' Sleep Society, is the latest thing m associations, and it is Chicago-bred. The members argue that more than four hours' sleep is unnecessary and" they i pledge themselves not to liave more, ;;and -to .bring up, their, children oil the same plan- '